30 Semi-Auto Rifles For Home Defense & Urban Survival

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Alexander Arms Ulfberht — Cartridge: .338 Lapua Mag
Weight: 19.8 pounds
Length: 41.25 inches
Capacity: 10

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Armalite M15TAC16 — Cartridge: 5.56 NATO
Weight: 9.00 pounds
Length: 33.30-36.60 inches
Capacity: 30

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Auto-Ordnance M1 Carbine AOM 130 &140 — Cartridge: .30 Carbine
Weight: 5.40 pounds
Length: 35.75 inches
Capacity: 10/15

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Barrett REC7 Gen 2 — Cartridge: 5.56 NATO
Weight: 7.20 pounds
Length: 33.35 inches
Capacity: 10/30

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Beretta ARX100 — Cartridge: 5.56 NATO
Weight: 6.80 pounds
Length: 35.75 inches
Capacity: 30

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Benelli MR1 — Cartridge: 5.56 NATO
Weight: 7.90 pounds
Length: 37.10 inches
Capacity: 5+

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Bravo Company EAG Tactical — Cartridge: 5.56 NATO
Weight: 6.90 pounds
Length: 32.00 inches
Capacity: 30

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Black Rain Ordnance BRO-PG3 16” — Cartridge: 5.56 NATO
Weight: 7.40 pounds
Length: 33.00 inches
Capacity: 10/30

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Colt 901 — Cartridge: 7.62 NATO
Weight: 8.81 pounds
Length: 34.24 inches
Capacity: 20

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Daniel Defense DDM4 V11 Pro — Cartridge: 5.56 NATO
Weight: 7.53 pounds
Length: 34.75-37.88 inches
Capacity: 30

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Del-Ton DTI Evolution — Cartridge: 5.56 NATO
Weight: 6.80 pounds
Length: 32.25-35.75 inches
Capacity: 30

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Diamondback DB15 — Cartridge: 5.56 NATO
Weight: 6.7-6.9 pounds
Length: 32.5-36.25 inches
Capacity: 10/30

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, FN 15 Tactical Carbine — Cartridge: 5.56 NATO
Weight: 6.60 pounds
Length: 33.7-37 inches
Capacity: 30

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, IWI Tavor — Cartridge: 5.56 NATO
Weight: 7.9-8.15 pounds
Length: 26.13 inches
Capacity: 30

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Kalashnikov USA Modern With Skeletonized Stock — Cartridge: 7.62x39mm
Weight: 7.82 pounds
Length: 36-40 inches
Capacity: 30

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, KRISS Vector Gen II CRB — Cartridge: 9mm/.45 ACP
Weight: 5.80 pounds
Length: 25.6-34.8 inches
Capacity: 13/25

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, LMT Sharpshooter — Cartridge: 7.62 NATO
Weight: 10.00 pounds
Length: 34.75 inches
Capacity: 20

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, LWRC IC-A2 — Cartridge: 5.56 NATO
Weight: 7.30 pounds
Capacity: 32-35.25 inches
Capacity: 30

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Mossberg MMR Hunter — Cartridge: 5.56 NATO
Weight: 7.00 pounds
Length: 39.00 inches
Capacity: 5

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Remington 750 Carbine — Cartridge: .308
Weight: 7.25 pounds
Length: 39.10 inches
Capacity: 5

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Rock River Arms LAR-8 .308 Mid-Length — Cartridge: 7.62 NATO
Weight: 8.10 pounds
Length: 38.00 inches
Capacity: 20

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Ruger SR-556 — Cartridge: 5.56 NATO
Weight: 7.90 pounds
Length: 32.75-36 inches
Capacity: 30

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, S&W M&P10 — Cartridge: 7.62 NATO
Weight: 7.71 pounds
Length: 37.50-40.90 inches
Capacity: 5/10/20

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Seekins Precision SPCBRV1 — Cartridge: .223 Wylde/300 BLK
Weight: 7.20 pounds
Length: 31.50 inches
Capacity: 30

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Springfield Loaded M1A Adjustable — Cartridge: 7.62 NATO
Weight: 11.25 pounds
Length: 45-46.25 inches
Capacity: 10

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Sig Sauer MCX — Cartridge: 5.56/7.62×39/300 BLK
Weight: 6.00 pounds
Length: 26.9-35.8 inches
Capacity: 30

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Stag Arms Model 9 — Cartridge: 9mm
Weight: 6.8 pounds
Length: 32.5 inches
Capacity: 32

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Windham Weaponry MPC-RF — Cartridge: 5.56 NATO
Weight: 6.30 pounds
Length: 36.13-32.38 inches
Capacity: 30

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Wilson Combat Paul Howe Tactical Carbine — Cartridge: 5.56 NATO
Weight: 7.50 pounds
Length: 34.25 inches
Capacity: 30

rifle, rifles, semi-auto rifle, semi-auto rifles, semi auto rifle, semi auto rifles, Yankee Hill Machine Model-57 — Cartridge: 5.56/6.8 SPC/300 BLK
Weight: 7.43 pounds
Length: 32.25 inches
Capacity: 30

Although Winchester built the first successful semi-auto rifle produced in America, the Model 1903, Browning, Remington and Colt eventually became the dominant makes. Many of the most notable early developments were by John Browning, who pioneered most of Winchester’s designs and the Remington Model 8, built from 1911 to 1936. Others came about to meet the demands of war, including the famous Browning-designed BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle), the foundation for today’s Browning semi-auto BAR models and the FNAR .308. Then there is the legendary .30 caliber M1 Garand introduced in 1936. After more than three-quarters of a century, it remains popular and collectible among sportsmen and military arms enthusiasts. As for “modern” semi-autos, the vast majority is based on the ArmaLite (1955) and Colt (1963) designs for the AR-15/M16 developed prior to the Vietnam War.

Interestingly, many detractors of semi-auto rifles consider them to be the same as fully automatic and selective-fire military weapons like the M16, which is incorrect, even if they have the same general appearance. Looks can be (and often are) deceiving, but one should not confuse styling with internal function. “Modern,” in terms of semi-automatic rifles, is based more on aesthetics than actual mechanics, most of which have their basis in designs that are, at best, from the mid-20th century. Semi-autos are essentially all the same in operation, allowing one shot per trigger pull and automatically extracting and loading another round from the magazine during recoil, at which point the trigger must be released to reset before the gun can fire again. This is the same principle as a semi-auto handgun and the basic operation has not changed in over 100 years.

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While there are military, law enforcement and personal defense applications for every semi-auto rifle, most of the examples in this category are equally suitable for hunting and sport shooting. The selections are primarily compact versions (or have collapsible stocks) with an average overall length of 33 to 37 inches and weight of 6 to 7 pounds. The average capacity is 10 rounds, with extended capacity magazines averaging 30 rounds. The most common chambering is 5.56 NATO, which is a military cartridge that can be used for sporting purposes. There are also a number of alternate chamberings available for many of the guns, including 7.62 NATO, a standard caliber among hunters and sportsmen since the 1950s, while a few are chambered for handgun calibers like 9mm, allowing both a semi-autopistol and rifle to share the same ammunition. This is an old tradition going back to the 1870s and 1880s, when cowboys wisely carried revolvers and lever-action rifles chambered for the same cartridges.